Gundy savors last Bedlam: OK St. win ‘a big deal’
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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
STILLWATER, Okla. — As fans poured onto the field following Oklahoma State 27-21 win over Oklahoma in the final Bedlam game, coach Mike Gundy stood at the mouth of the tunnel at the edge of the field and took in the moment.
In his 33rd appearance of the game as either a player, assistant or head coach, the former Cowboys quarterback wanted to do something Saturday he doesn’t often do. He wanted to take in the moment.
“I did better than I’ve done in the past,” Gundy said. “I actually walked off and then walked back over to thank the students and try to enjoy some of it instead of just taking off and running off the field. I wanted to be able to see the Oklahoma State people enjoy it. I want the players to enjoy it, and so I wanted to see a little bit of it.”
After 118 games, the series is dying because of conference realignment, with Oklahoma headed to the SEC next season. Gundy said it would be a “poor business decision” for the schools to continue, given their conference schedules.
The series has been lopsided, with Oklahoma winning 91 games. In front of a sellout crowd after ticket prices soared, Ollie Gordon II ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns, Alan Bowman passed for 334 yards and Rashod Owens had career highs of 10 catches for 136 yards to become Bedlam heroes in OSU’s 20th win over the Sooners. But this one secures bragging rights for the foreseeable future.
“It’s a big deal. I mean, this is the last Bedlam,” Gundy said. “All the Oklahoma State people have put up with a lot of crap for 100 years. They’ve had their butt kicked a bunch. Now they’re going to walk around and say we won the last game.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg presented Gundy with a ball for his 100th Big 12 win, joining Bob Stoops (121) and Bill Snyder (104) as the only coaches to reach the mark.
It’s something that seemed very unlikely when the Cowboys were blown out 33-7 by South Alabama on Sept. 16, followed by a 34-27 loss to Iowa State the next week.
“Our coaching was awful, so we didn’t play very well,” Gundy said. “I told the coaches their coaching was awful and my coaching was awful.”
The Cowboys have now won five straight and with UCF, Houston and BYU remaining, are right in the thick of the Big 12 championship race. Gundy said he couldn’t have predicted the turnaround this season.
“Nobody could have predicted the change that we made. Nobody,” he said. “If anybody in this room says that, I’m calling B.S. on it.”
Gundy said he owes a lot to the Cowboys fans, who kept filling the stadium despite the struggles. He said today was “electric,” and he wanted the players to know just what they accomplished with the win.
“I did tell the team … that the one thing they should remember, these are special moments,” Gundy said. “The one thing that they can take with them for the rest of their life is the thrill that they gave the fans. There’s been a lot of years and a lot of history and a lot of tradition with Bedlam, and our crowd is more engaged with our team than any of the years I’ve been here. So what they did is they gave them a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs and free agent Colin Rea have agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract, reuniting the right-hander with manager Craig Counsell, a source told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on Friday.
The 34-year-old Rea made one appearance with Milwaukee in 2021 and then pitched in Japan during the 2022 season before returning to the Brewers. He went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA over 27 starts and five relief appearances for the NL Central champions last year.
Counsell managed Milwaukee for nine years before he was hired by Chicago in November 2023.
Rea gives Counsell and Chicago another versatile arm for their pitching staff. The Cubs have Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd for their rotation, but Rea could push Javier Assad for the fifth spot or work out of the bullpen.
Rea became a free agent when Milwaukee declined its $5.5 million club option on his contract in November. The Iowa native was paid a $1 million buyout.
Rea was selected by San Diego in the 12th round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Indiana State. He made his big league debut with the Padres in 2015.
He pitched for the Cubs during the 2020 season, going 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in nine appearances, including two starts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has banned two fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium from attending games at big league ballparks.
The league sent a letter to Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen this week informing them of the decision.
“On Oct. 29, 2024, during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, you interfered with play by intentionally and forcefully grabbing a player. Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior,” said the letter, the contents of which were first reported by the New York Post and later obtained by The Associated Press.
“Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities,” the letter said. “You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB. Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass.”
MLB has previously issued leaguewide bans for fans who trespass on the field or threaten baseball personnel. A fan who approached Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. at Colorado’s Coors Field in 2023 received a similar ban.
Capobianco and Hansen were ejected from the game on Oct. 29 and banned from Game 5 the following night.
Betts leaped at the retaining wall in foul territory and caught Gleyber Torres‘ pop fly in the first inning, but a fan in the first row with a gray Yankees road jersey grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out. Another fan grabbed Betts’ bare hand.
The Yankees at the time called the behavior “egregious and unacceptable.”
The team said Friday the two fans MLB banned were not season-ticket holders. The Post reported Friday that the person who is the season ticket holder was not at the game and will be allowed to keep them.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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